She's My Best Friend
by Writing Sux
Summary: Bo and Lauren are best friends and Lauren is set to get married in three days. How does Bo handle seeing her best friend get married? Things ensue. Lots of flashbacks. I love a good flashback.
1. The Beginning of A Wonderful Friendship

**New story on top of my other three lol (if you read my Buffy one). This is an idea I had kicking around my head and I couldn't ignore it any longer. It'll be short. Enjoi.**

 ** **Disclaimer: ** **I do not own the characters they belong to the wonderful people of Lost Girl, Showcase, Prodigy, et al.********

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"I can't believe that this is happening? I thought that everything was fine. You said that everything was fine when you called them yesterday," Lauren said as she tugged at the wedding dress that she was wearing. The thing fit on her like an expensive, fancy, oversized sheet and she kept pulling it up every time it fell down an inch. It kept falling because Lauren was pacing around the small area of the fitting room having a mild freak out.

Bo sipped on her iced coffee in an attempt not to laugh at her. A Lauren freak out wasn't something that was new to her and she wasn't surprised that she was having another one since she had had one yesterday. Lauren was getting married in three days so that explained the numerous freak outs. Bo cleared her throat then said, "I didn't say that everything was fine. I said the dress was ready."

Lauren turned and scowled at her. "I thought you were handling everything Bo." She gestured at herself and said, "This isn't handling anything. My dress is two sizes too big and who knows if they'll be able to have it done by the wedding and if that's the case what do you have planned Bo?"

Bo got a deadpanned look on her face as she glared at Lauren. This was the reason why she was handling everything. Lauren got stressed out and she would get mean. Bo was the only one who could handle her. Bo took another sip from her iced coffee then she set it down on the floor before she got up and walked over to Lauren. She took hold of her shoulders and she looked in her eyes. They were wide and panicked. Bo shook her head. Lauren was never good at handling stress and this, of course, was no exception. Bo smiled at her. "I will talk to the seamstress. Let her know that the wedding is in three days and that it is important to have dress done sooner rather than later." She chuckled. "You need calm down before you have a heart attack then Amy is going to yell at me because I'm supposed to be the person to talk you down and do you know how stressful it is to talk you down?" Bo saw the guilt come to Lauren eyes and she smiled. "It's a stressful thing to do but I've been doing it since we were fourteen. That's sixteen years Lauren, but I'm glad to do it. So take a deep breath. The dressed will get fixed and it will be ready for you on your wedding day."

Bo watched as Lauren took several deep breaths then the woman rested her forehead on her shoulder. Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren and the two of them stood there in silence for a moment. Lauren blew out a breath then said, "I'm just worried that this whole wedding is going to be a complete disaster. First it starts with the dress then it's going to be something in regards to Amy's dress. Then the venue will call saying that there is a plumbing problem or a hurricane will threaten the wedding." She sighed. "Bo what if this is all just a long list of signs telling me that I shouldn't marry Amy."

Bo shook her head then she rubbed Lauren's back. "Sit up." Lauren didn't move so Bo pushed Lauren back then said, "Look at me Lauren." Lauren let out an exasperated breath and rolled her eyes before she looked into Bo's. "Do you love Amy?"

"Of course I do."

Bo smiled a little. "And do you want to be with her for the rest of your life. Granted there will be bickering and petty arguments on top of your passive-aggressive behavior-" Lauren swatted her shoulder and Bo chuckled. "I'm going to take that as a yes." She sighed then told her, "Don't worry about the rest of it, Lauren. The rest of it is insignificant compared to spending your life with the woman you love." Bo saw that Lauren had relaxed a little so she said, "And also since it is my duty as your maid of honor to make sure that things run smoothly you are required to not to worry about anything. This was an oversight on my part and I'm fixing it. I will call the caterers, the venue, the justice of the peace, and everyone else to make sure that there are no more hiccups for your wedding. Okay?"

Lauren smiled at her and said, "Yes."

Bo grinned. "Good. Now all you have to worry about is just getting married. Oh, and your mom. You can handle Shelia on your own."

"See this is why I can't trust you. Making me deal with my mother by myself," Lauren said as she tugged at the dress. She gave Bo a hug and whispered. "Thanks Bo. I probably wouldn't be able to do any of this without you. If you weren't here I probably would have ran off to some deserted island or something."

Bo chuckled a little. "No you wouldn't. You don't like the beach. And it's a good thing that I'm here so that neither of us has to find." She gave Lauren a final squeeze then let her go. "Now let me go get the seamstress and see what she's going to do about this dress."

Lauren told her okay then Bo headed out of the fitting room. As she was walking out of the back part of the wedding boutique Bo thought about how she never wanted to find out what it would be like to not have Lauren in her life. She was making the ultimate sacrifice in making sure that would never happen.

* * *

 _Sixteen Years Ago…._

Bo walked into the class room with the administrative assistant from the front office. She felt nervous about starting over at a new school. In her old school she had friends and her favorite teachers but now she would have to start all over again. She sighed. She hated life and she hated the circumstances that had put her in her current situation. After the woman escorting her talked to the teacher she gave Bo a reassuring smile then left out of the class. The teacher, Mr. Hopkins, got the classes attention. "All right class. I want to introduce a new student. Her name is Isa-bay-oh."

Bo scowled at the man and corrected him. "It's Isabeau and you can just call me Bo."

"Well," the man stated, "that is an unusual name for a young lady."

Bo rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well my parents were unusual people."

The class snickered then Mr. Hopkins cleared his throat and told her, "Why don't you have a seat next to Lauren." The man pointed to a blonde girl in a dark blue sweater sitting at a table by herself. "Lauren can you help Bo get through her first day? Answer any questions that she has."

As Bo made her way over to the table the other girl said, "Yes Mr. Hopkins."

Bo took her back pack down on the floor then sat down. She gave the other girl a shy smile. "Hi."

Lauren got a small smile on her face. "Hi."

The two of them stared at each other for a second then Bo moved to get her notebook out of her backpack. She set the spiral notebook on the table and said, "So what are we learning?"

Lauren chuckled then started to go over what they had been learning since school started two weeks ago. While Lauren talked Bo thought about how nice the girl was and decided that maybe making friends at her new school wasn't going to be as hard as she thought it was going to be.

 **xXxXxX**

A month later Bo was at Lauren's house for a sleepover. The two of them had done their home work after school and had hung out for awhile before they had dinner with Lauren's parents. Bo thought Lauren had awesome parents although her mother seemed to be wary of her. They were now up in Lauren's room watching a movie. Bo pointed at the TV and told her, "Five bucks says that they'll find her body in the woods next to some creepy shack."

Lauren groaned and remarked, "I can't believe I let you talk me into watching a horror movie. We would have done well with a nice comedy. I like comedies."

"We'll watch that for the next one. This one sounded pretty interesting." Bo swatted Lauren's arm as the next scene happened. "Dead body, dead body, dead body," the TV showed the dead girlfriend of the main character and Bo pumped her fist in the air. "Boom. Told you." Then the killer jumped out of the woods and sliced the throat of the man that had found her which caused Bo to scream a little. Bo heard Lauren laughing at her and she scowled. "He came out of nowhere."

Lauren tried to catch her breath but she couldn't stop herself but she managed to say through her laughter, "But you screamed. You're right watching this movie was a good idea."

Bo glared at her for a second then she looked at the TV even though she was certain another scary part was just around the corner. The two of them continued to watch the movie and when it got to a car crash scene Lauren scrambled around looking for the remote on the bed and when she found it she changed the channel. As soon as it changed she looked at Bo and asked, "Are you okay? I didn't know that there was a car crash in that."

Bo was silent for a moment. The sudden car crash scene caused her to think about the memories of the accident that had taken her parents' lives and had injured her. Bo took several deep breaths then told Lauren, "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's watch that comedy you wanted watch."

Bo could feel Lauren's eyes on her then the other girl said in a soft voice, "Bo it's okay if you're not fine. Especially after all that you've been through. I'm here if you want to talk about it."

Bo sat up and hugged the pillow that she had been laying on as she said, "No, Lauren. I don't want to talk about it. I have no intention of talking about the car wreck that killed my parents and almost killed me. No." The tears forming in Bo's eyes burned but she was determined not to blink so that they wouldn't fall.

"I just meant in general Bo. We don't have to talk about….you know," Lauren said in a soft voice.

"Oh," Bo said as she started to feel stupid for her outburst. She hadn't dealt with the accident properly and she had no plan of doing so in the near future.

The two of them were quiet for a while then Lauren asked, "Want to go for a walk?"

Bo got an apprehensive look on her face. "Lauren it's close to eleven and I'm certain your parents wouldn't like it if we went walking around the neighborhood at all hours." She scoffed. "They would never let me come over again if they found out."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Don't worry Bo. They'll never find out. We'll just sneak out my window." Bo looked out the window. There was a big tree outside of it that they would be able to climb down. She looked back at Lauren and thought more about the idea. "Come on Bo. The fresh air will do you some good and the neighborhood is really peaceful at night."

Bo knew that the air would be good for her and she welcomed the distraction. She tossed the pillow at Lauren and hit her in the head with it. She giggled a little then said, "A walk sounds like a good idea."

Lauren smiled at her and the two of them got dressed then snuck out of Lauren bedroom window. Bo climbed down the tree first then Lauren climbed down and dropped down to the ground next to her. The two of them walked down the street and as they walked by the darkened houses Bo commented, "It's so creepy out here."

Lauren chuckled and told her, "It is a little bit creepy." She then glanced at Bo. "I have to admit this is my first time doing something like this."

Bo gawked at her then hissed, "Lauren."

"Well it was the only thing I could think of that would get you in a better mood," Lauren explained.

Bo stopped walking and said, "We should go back."

Lauren nodded. "We could but we're like two streets from my house and we're about to reach the park."

Bo folded her arms and said, "Do you know what could happen to two fourteen year old girls roaming around in the middle of the night?"

Lauren laughed a little. "I do Bo, but considering where we live I think we'll be okay. Come on. I have an idea."

Bo was reluctant to follow Lauren but she did so anyway because she didn't want to be left by herself. The two of them walked to the park then they made their way to the middle of the baseball field. Lauren sat down in the grass then she tugged on Bo's arm until she sat down next to her. Just as she had gotten comfortable Lauren remarked, "Gee, I hope there aren't any snakes out."

Bo jumped up from the grass and Lauren started to laugh at her. Bo scowled at the other girl. In the dim light that came from the street lights that were in the playground she could see that Lauren was rolling around in the grass laughing. She kicked her, not hard, but hard enough. "You're not funny Lauren Lewis and if you say something about snakes again I'll tell your mom about what you really do in class."

Lauren stopped laughing then sat up. "You wouldn't dare."

Bo sat down next to her in the grass, though she was hyperaware about snakes. "I wouldn't, but stop being annoying."

Lauren sighed then said. "Okay. Sorry Bo." Bo let her head drop back and she looked up at the star filled sky. She felt so small under them all. "You want me to teach you the constellations?"

Bo turned her head and looked at Lauren. "Really?" Lauren nodded her head. "That would be awesome."

Lauren chuckled and said, "Okay let's lay down because it'll be easier to point them out." The laid down in the grass and Lauren moved closer so that they were shoulder to shoulder and her head was close to Bo's. The girl began to point out the constellations and telling her about them. Bo was glad that she and Lauren had snuck out because there was something about being with her friend, lying in the grass, and looking at the stars. It was almost magical. The two of them had fallen silent at some point. Bo turned her head to look at Lauren, who's barely visible in the dark, and she smiled. "I'm glad we're friends Lauren. Even if you're a brain and can be annoying sometimes."

Lauren scoffed then pointed out, "My brain helped you on today's test and I wouldn't be so annoying if you didn't make it so much fun." She fell silent but then Bo felt her take her hand and give it a squeeze. "I'm glad we're friends too Bo."

A smile came to Bo's face and she gave Lauren's hand a gentle squeeze then she looked back at the stars. She felt something that she hadn't felt since before her parents' death. She felt happy and not so alone in the world. Sure she had her grandfather but Lauren gave her someone that she could relate to and she hoped that the two of them would be friends for a long time.

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 **What do we think? It's a different take on BoLo but I think you guys will like this one so hang tight.**


	2. How Lauren Met Amy

****Disclaimer: ** **I do not own the characters they belong to the wonderful people of Lost Girl, Showcase, Prodigy, et al.********

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Bo was at work looking over a report and was trying to decide if she should waste time telling her bosses that sales were down a few points last month. She picked another report, which contained the figures for month to date sales, and saw that the current month's numbers had surpassed last month's and there was still another week in the month. She decided that she wasn't going to tell them and put away the two reports. She was about to type up an email to the vice president of her department when her office phone began to ring. She answered it and as she started to type out her email she said, "Bo Dennis."

The person on the other end let out a relieved breath then said, "Thank goodness you're there."

Bo stopped typing and focused on the call. If Amy was calling then it had to be something related to Lauren. "What's the matter? Is Lauren okay?"

"Yeah she's fine Bo." She paused for a split second then added, "For the moment."

Bo sighed as she realized that this was a wedding related call and not so much a 'there's something wrong with Lauren' call. She chuckled a little then asked, "What did she do? And Amy you can't let her get to you. You know she gets mean and starts biting off heads when she's stressed."

Amy chuckled a little then said, "I know she does and luckily it's not directed at me. She's just stressed about tonight."

Bo nodded. Tonight there was going to be a small dinner that was only for Lauren's parents, Amy's parents, and Bo. It was a celebratory thing that Lauren's mom had insisted upon and Bo tried to talk Shelia out of it but the woman was as stubborn as her daughter was. "Tell her to not let her mother stress her out. Because when Shelia stresses her out Lauren can't go off on her so she stress eats. Then we have to get the dress resized and after yesterday's fiasco I really don't want to have to go through that again."

Amy laughed a little then remarked, "I've tried to keep only the low calorie foods at her disposal. But she's at work now and those vending machines in the cafeteria at the university are hard for her to resist."

Bo rolled her eyes. Lauren was a junk food fiend and it was quite bizarre since she never gained any weight. "Tell her that it will be a pain in the ass to get that dress taken out twenty-four hours before the wedding."

"I will be sure to tell her that those words came from you because I would like my marriage not to end in divorce right before it begins," Amy joked.

Bo chuckled then told her, "Oh she knows that it'll be me that told you to say that. Unless you make it a habit of calling my best friend a fat ass then I may have to do something about that."

Amy was quick to reassure her. "No, no, no. I just like having my head firmly attached to my body. Although once she knows that you've called her a fat ass she might take yours."

Bo laughed then remarked, "She hasn't yet so I think I'm safe." She paused a second then asked, "So Ames, the wedding is in less than forty-eight hours, how you feeling?" Bo liked Amy. She really did. The two of them had worked together for a couple of months on a project that Bo's company had been handling. This is how Amy had sort of met Lauren. There had been number of times when they had been working together where Lauren had come to visit Bo and Amy had begged for her to set her up with Lauren a dozen or so times. Eventually Bo caved. She hadn't thought anything of it because at the time Lauren was consumed with some research project and was all about her work. However, that had bitten her in the ass.

Bo heard Amy take a deep breath before she said, "Full disclosure?"

"Full disclosure," Bo replied with a smirk on her face.

"And you won't tell Lauren about it?" Amy asked and that made Bo worry.

Bo bit her bottom lip then told the other woman, "I won't tell Lauren about it. Scouts honor."

Amy chuckled. "I do remember hearing about you being in girl scouts when you were younger." A scowl formed on Bo's face. Of course Lauren would have told Amy something like that. Lauren liked to make fun of her for being a former girl scout and brownie. Amy sighed in her ear. "I'm nervous as fuck Bo. Not only am I worried that Lauren will cancel the whole thing because something will set her off but I'm just nervous in general." She stopped for a second then continued on in a softer voice. "I love her so much and I want to be everything that she needs but at the same time, I'm worried that I won't be. I mean she is a beautiful person inside and out and even if she does have her neurotic tendencies she deserves to be with someone who will give her the sun, moon, and the stars. Y'know?"

Yes, Bo did know. She knew it all too well in fact. Because she believed that Lauren deserved same things too but she thought that, maybe one day, she would be the one to give Lauren all of those things. Bo swallowed hard to force down the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat then she took a deep breath so that she could get control of her emotions. Bo forced a smile on her face and said, "Amy, you can give her all those things." Bo felt her heart seize up at the words that had just fallen from her mouth but she managed to continue on. "Lauren loves you. And even if she does have moments where it looks like she may call off the whole thing, she won't. Because spending her life with you is the only thing that matters to her." Bo pulled the phone away from her ear. She knew that the strong feelings that she felt for Lauren would lessen one day, but today wasn't that day, and having to console the woman that she was going to marry was a little too much for Bo. But it was something that she would do because it was for Lauren's happiness.

Bo brought the phone back to ear and she managed to catch the end of what Amy had been saying. "…..I know it's probably just nerves and I know she wants to marry me, but damn self-doubt is a bitch. It has me questioning everything."

Bo took another deep breath then told her, "Don't listen to it Ames. You and Lauren are a sure thing. It's wedding jitters. Once you get through the ceremony and everything leading up to it this conversation will seem ridiculous."

Amy chuckled and said, "I'm sure you're right Bo. Thanks for letting me vent. I know you're Lauren's best friend and everything but it's good to know that you're willing to help me out a bit too."

Bo pressed her lips together then she said, "It's not problem Amy. You make Lauren happy and if you're not happy then Lauren's not happy and then my life becomes miserable." She forced out a chuckle. "It would be a vicious cycle."

Amy laughed a little. "Yeah, yeah. It would be. Okay I have to get off of here but I will see you tonight."

Bo gave a slight nod and said, "That you will."

Amy told her okay then the two of them ended the call. Bo leaned back in her office chair and looked up at the ceiling of her office. Her eyes welled up with tears which caused her to feel a prickling sensation in the corner of them. She wasn't going to cry but this was the closest that she had come to almost crying since she had found out that Lauren was going to marry Amy. Pushing aside her own feelings so that she could be happy for the happiness that Lauren had found was the hardest thing for her to do but Bo was managing. It was still taking a decent amount of booze to do it but she was getting better, depending on the day. She had rationalized the situation enough that she could get through everything with a smile on her face. Lauren loved Amy and was going to marry her. And Amy was a good match for Lauren. She was funny, attractive, and just as witty as Lauren was. Bo blew out a breath then sat up in her chair and moved to where she could to get back to typing up her email. She knew that breaking her own heat was going to be a bitch but sometimes the pain she felt from it was a little overwhelming.

* * *

 _Almost Three Years Ago…._

Bo, Lauren and her date, Ryan, were just arriving at the banquet hall her company had chosen to have their annual gloat-fest as Bo liked to call it. Typically the event was boring and she was ready to leave as soon as she got there, but because she was on the track to becoming a part of senior management there was an unspoken agreement between her and her department heads that she was supposed to be there. This year was different though and the only reason why it was different was because she had finally given into Amy's pleas of introducing her properly to Lauren. The two had met in passing a few times already but it was just a quick wave as she and Lauren headed out for lunch or something.

Bo had brushed the woman's requests off in a joking manner the first few times she asked. She would tell Amy that there was no way she would be able to handle Lauren or that she wouldn't set Lauren up with someone with the likes of her but then Amy told her that she would just ask her out the next time that she saw her so Bo panicked. The other day she had told Amy that Lauren was going to come to tonight's event so she caved and told her that she would introduce the two of them properly. Amy had thanked her but Bo didn't feel happy about it because she didn't like it when Lauren dated. However she was grateful that Lauren had gotten involved with a new research project at the university and she knew that Lauren was going to throw herself into it and wasn't going bother with a relationship. Bo let out a relieved breath. That thought had given her some solace. The three of them headed to the bar and Bo remarked, "Each year I swear this company puts more money into this party than they do in the business deals we make."

Ryan chuckled then asked, "Didn't you promise some of your clients a couple of tickets to the next football game? Box seats?"

Bo glared at the man. She had met Ryan a month ago. It had been pouring rain and the two of them had been trying to catch a cab and she offered to share her cab with him. They had made small talk during the ride and when they had reached Ryan's stop he had asked her out while he was getting out of the cab. She had said yes because he was an attractive man who was actually funny. There were parts of his personality that reminded her of Lauren sometimes but at the same time that usually disappointed her because it wasn't Lauren.

The bartender gave Bo her drink and as she took a sip of it Lauren said, "That's because those tickets are for a game at the university and because I am big name there she got me to swindle the higher ups to get her those tickets for free."

Bo swallowed the sip that she had taken and argued, "But I promised to pay you back with an awesome trip this year if I managed to renegotiate this contract." Bo rubbed her fingers together. "More money means more vacations Lauren."

Lauren rolled her eyes then she remarked, "What about Ryan? I'm certain Ryan would love to go on a trip with his girlfriend."

Ryan held up his drink and said, "Nope. Don't involve me. I have learned not to get in-between Bo and Lauren banter. I don't think I recovered my balls from the last time that happen." He smirked at Bo then kissed her cheek.

Bo rolled her eyes then said, "I warned you about what would happen if sided with Lauren and her smartass comment."

"But I was right Bo. You know I'm a big Julia Roberts fan and I know every one of her movies through and through." She grinned. "I don't know why you thought I was wrong. Give me three words to describe one of her movies and I'm certain I can guess right on the first try."

Bo shook her head as a smile came to her face. She knew Lauren was right but she wasn't going to entertain her with the guessing game. She moved away from the bar and said, "Let's go find our table. I hope they put us by the kitchen. I want to get to the appetizers as they come out."

Bo heard Lauren snort before she muttered, "Don't they have the same appetizers every year?"

Bo turned to scowl at her. "Not this year. I heard they were changing the menu. And how do you know they serve the same appetizers every year?"

Lauren shook her head then took a sip of her wine before she said, "Because Bo, you complain about it, every year." She looked around and groaned. "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

Bo grinned at her and said, "You were going to go home and play with formulas until you passed out on your desk. I'm saving you."

Lauren scoffed and argued, "I don't need saving from my work. Actually being a rocket scientist is fun for me."

Bo smiled at her and wrapped her arm around Lauren's waist. "Take it easy Lauren. I was only kidding. I know you love your work and I really appreciate you coming to this."

Lauren smiled back at her and said, "Well if you're winning this stupid performance award I might as well be here." She paused for a second then added, "But I'm proud of you Bo."

Bo grinned then the three of them headed to the table that was reserved for them and a few other people from Bo's company. Amy was already there making small talk and when they were closer to the table Bo said, "Lauren, you remember Amy. From the tech firm that my company's partnering with?"

Lauren nodded and shook Amy's hand. "Of course. You kept calling her a godsend because you couldn't understand the technical jibberish."

Amy chuckled and said, "Well Bo helped me understand the contract jibberish so it worked out for the both of us. I'm glad she got you to come."

Lauren chuckled as she sat down. "Well with Bo winning that award I couldn't not come. She's my best friend."

"Well she is lucky to have you then," Amy replied with a genuine smile on her face. Bo watched the interaction between the two women and Lauren wasn't being aloof or standoffish. She actually seemed like she was enjoying Amy's company. Bo felt queasy as she became nervous. She hoped that Lauren was only being friendly for her benefit.

Dinner was served before the performance awards were handed out and all through dinner Bo watched Lauren and Amy while she pretended to listen to Ryan go on about the market. Sometimes she found it interesting to listen to but at the moment she found it irritating. Not because the man was annoying her, but because Amy and Lauren seemed to be having a good time and were actually hitting it off. Bo had finished off her dinner and she was wiping her mouth when Ryan leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Seems like Lauren is actually finding Amy interesting. Surprising since they're not going on about space and thermodynamics or whatever."

Bo picked up her drink and she took a long drink from it. As she set the glass down she remarked in a clip tone, "I think Lauren is just being nice." That was a lie. The way Lauren was sitting towards Amy and the way her eyes sparkled in the dim lighting of the hall she knew that Lauren was intrigued by the other woman.

Ryan chuckled a little. "Call it what you want Bo but I think Lauren may have found someone, other than you, that might actually get her." He placed his arm around her shoulders and he gave the one that his hand was resting on a gentle squeeze. "It's a good thing Bo. Now Lauren won't have to be our third wheel anymore."

Bo scoffed then remarked, "If you say so." She picked up her glass and finished off her drink. Now Ryan was being annoying. She didn't say much else through the rest of dinner but she did watch Lauren and Amy and it only made her mood worse. Luckily she didn't have much longer to deal with it because the awards portion of the night was beginning. A half hour after the presentation had started the president of the company was announcing Bo's name and telling everyone that she was being awarded for her success in client retention and negotiating contracts. She walked up and accepted her award then she went back to the table. Lauren gave her a hug and murmured in her ear, "And you said you would never amount to anything."

Bo pulled back and smiled at her. "Well that's only because you kicked me in the ass every step of the way."

Lauren grinned. "And I'll continue to do for the rest of our lives and maybe afterward."

Bo gave Lauren another hug then moved to go sit down in her spot next to Ryan. The awards ceremony continued on for another half hour then the party went into full swing where the band played livelier music. Ryan got up from his seat and held out his hand, "Come on Bo let's show this place a move or two."

Bo glanced at his hand then back at Lauren and Amy. There was no way she was going to leave Lauren alone with this woman. Lauren had clearly consumed too much wine and wasn't going to be making the best decisions tonight. She gave Ryan a polite smile. "I think I'll stay here. I don't want Lauren hanging out-"

"Oh go Bo. The man wants to dance." Lauren smiled at Amy. "Plus I don't think Amy has a problem keeping me company."

Amy shook her head and said, "Nope not at all. I'm actually hoping to get you out there on the dance floor myself."

Bo laughed then pointed out, "Lauren can't dance. She has two left fee that are turned backwards." Lauren scowled at her and Bo grinned, "It's true."

Amy chuckled then said, "Ah what's a few bruised toes. It'll be worth."

Bo saw the look that passed between Amy and Lauren and a feeling of dread came over her. Lauren was falling for the other woman's charms. She felt like she was going to throw up. Bo was still staring at Lauren and Amy when Ryan said, "It's settled then. Let's go dance."

Lauren looked at Bo and waved her away. "Shoo. Go Bo. I'll be fine."

Bo scowled at her for a second then she took Ryan's hand and got up from the table. The two of them made their way to the dance floor and when they had started dancing Ryan said, "I know you're protective of her Bo but I think she'll be okay. Amy looks like she's really into her."

Bo forced a smile on her face and gave him a slight nod. She tried to focus on dancing with Ryan but she was too busy watching Lauren and Amy. The two of them had remained at the table during the first song that she and Ryan had danced to but by the second one, which was a bit slower, Amy had managed to get Lauren on the dance floor and the two of them were dancing together. Closely. Bo saw the shy smile that was on Lauren's face as she looked at Amy as they danced and there was no denying it. Lauren was falling for the woman. She really was going to be sick. Bo came up with an excuse about a headache and being nauseous so that she could leave early. Ryan was quick to say okay then the two of them made their way over to Lauren and Amy. Bo tapped on Lauren's shoulder and said, "I think we're going to head out. I'm feeling queasy and I'm getting a headache."

Lauren smiled and said, "You should have laid off the cheese and drinks."

"You can scold me later but let's get out of her before I lose the delicious dinner I just ate," Bo said hoping that a fake illness would get Lauren to come with her and away from Amy.

Bo saw Lauren bite the corner of her lip then she glanced at Amy then back at Bo. A small smile came to her face. "I think I'll stay here with Amy." Bo couldn't keep the shocked expression from her face and Lauren quickly pointed out. "You have Ryan, Bo. He'll make sure that you're well taken care of until I come over later or tomorrow morning."

Bo mind was further stunned. Tomorrow morning. Every worse possible thought came to Bo's mind and she couldn't form any words. She felt Ryan put his arm around her waist and he said, "I promise to take good care of her until more capable hands come along."

Lauren smiled. "See Bo? Everything will be fine."

It took everything in Bo's body so that she could force a smile on her face. "Yeah, yeah. That's fine. Have fun."

Lauren moved away from Amy and gave Bo a quick hug which was followed by a peck to her cheek. "I will Bo. Go home and lie down. No horror movies." She pointed at Ryan. "Make sure she doesn't watch those terrible movies." Bo didn't hear Ryan's response to Lauren. All she could think about in that moment was the fact that Lauren wanted to stay and spend more time with Amy and that she had expectations. What those expectations were Bo didn't want to entertain because is she thought about it too long she was certain she was going to actually throw up. Ryan was guiding her through the crowd and the two of them stopped at the coat check then made their way out of the building that the banquet hall was in.

Ryan was driving and Bo was staring out the window as a whirlwind of thoughts went through her head. She hoped that Lauren would realize that she was wrong about Amy. She hoped that Lauren would call to check on her in the middle of the night and tell her that Amy did something awful. Bo hoped with every fiber of her being that the rest of Lauren's night was uneventful and was nothing more than a few polite dances. Bo felt Ryan take her hand and she looked over at him. He smiled and said, "We'll get you home in a minute and into some comfy clothes." Bo managed something that resembled a smile then stared back out the window. "I mean even though the food upset your stomach at least something good came out of tonight. Lauren and Amy seemed into each other." He chuckled a little. "And you said Lauren didn't date. I think she might end up dating Amy."

Bo wanted to punch the man. She never really felt violent towards other people except when they made fun of her best friend but in this moment she wanted to punch Ryan. But Bo realized that it was just her jealousy talking so she only scowled as they drove to her apartment. They got there and as soon as they were inside Ryan said, "Do you want to take a shower or do you want to just change?" Bo ignored the question and tossed her keys on the coffee table in the living room then flopped down on the couch. "Ohh-kay. Do you want some crackers or anything?" Bo kicked off the heels that she was wearing and she let her head fall back onto the couch as she put her feet up on the coffee table. She was staring up at the ceiling but out the corner of her eye she saw Ryan move and come sit next to her. He took hold of her hand and said, "I want to help Bo. Just tell me what you need."

Bo pulled her hand from his grasp and said, "I think you should go Ryan. I'm certain it's nothing too serious. I'll be fine." That was a lie. She wasn't going to be fine until she found out what happened with Lauren and Amy.

Ryan brushed a wayward strand of her hair out of her face and murmured, "I'm not going anywhere. You shouldn't be by yourself if you're sick. Also you'd make me a liar to Lauren." She saw him grin. "And if she found out that I left you alone I'm certain she would kick my ass." Bo didn't laugh at the joke. In fact the scowl on her face worsened. Ryan sighed and asked, "What's the matter Bo? This is has to be about something other than a stomach ache. You look upset"

Bo got up from the couch. "It's nothing. Just go Ryan. I'll tell Lauren that you were here all night."

Ryan blew out a breath then said, "Okay." He got up from the couch. "Are we at least okay? Because I don't want to leave if you're upset with me."

Bo squeezed her eyes shut and blew out a deep breath. She opened them then looked at Ryan. "We're fine Ryan. I just-I just need to go lie down."

Ryan sighed then headed for the door. "Give me a call tomorrow. Let me know you're okay and if you want me to come over."

Bo wrapped her arms around herself and nodded. She watched him leave and as soon as the door to her apartment closed her vision began to blur and by the time she had the door locked silent tears were falling from her eyes. They continued to fall as Bo turned off the lights in the living room and made her way to her room. Once she was in there she took off the dress that she was wearing then she crawled into her bed and cuddled up to one of the pillows that were on it. Bo finally released the sobs that she had been holding in. She had pushed Lauren into the arms of another woman. She felt like an idiot and she felt stupid for thinking that Lauren wasn't going to fall for the woman. She felt so stupid and it was all her fault. Bo didn't want to risk losing Lauren. She was the closest thing that she had to family and if she lost Lauren then she didn't know what would happen to her. But tonight she was going to cry because seeing Lauren fall for another woman was a hard thing for her to witness and the desire to have Lauren look at her that way made hurt even more excruciating. Then tomorrow she would be able to handle whatever Lauren was going to tell her.

 **xXxXxX**

The loud pounding on her apartment door had woken Bo up or was it the massive headache that had woke her up? It didn't matter which one it was because both were annoying and were getting on her nerves. Bo groaned and she moved to get out of bed. She managed to pull on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and she also took off the bra that she had fallen asleep in. How she had managed that was something she would think about later. Bo trudged out of her room and headed to the front door. She unlocked it then opened the door. Lauren was standing in front of it holding a paper tray that held three coffees and a paper bag. Bo had feeling that the bag contained croissants and her stomach grumbled. Before she had a chance to greet the other woman Lauren blurted out, "I have a date."

Bo only stared at her for the longest second. Not only did she lose her appetite but ever emotion that she had managed to get a handle on was released and her world came crashing down. Bo was speechless and had no idea what to say. Lauren pushed by her. "I'm sorry. That's not what I meant to say. I meant to ask how you were doing but I'm so excited that, that was the first thing to fall out of my mouth." She set the paper tray and bag down on the coffee table. "Is Ryan here? I hope I didn't wake you two." She chuckled. "Although you look like you just rolled out of the bed and look like a pile of crap."

Bo managed to get out of her shocked state and said, "No. No. Ryan's not here. He um-something came up at work. He left earlier this morning." She moved over to the couch and sat on the edge of it as she looked at Lauren. "I'm sorry did I hear you correctly? Did you say you have a date?" There was a huge smile on Lauren's face as she nodded her head. "Oh. Wow."

"I know," Lauren exclaimed. She laughed. "I know it has been eons since I've dated but I'm super excited about this one. Amy is so interesting and she's as much of a geek as I am. However I'm a geek about science and math and she's a computer nerd but like we get each other. Also her wit is sharper than yours. Other than you, I didn't think I would meet someone who would be able to verbally spar with me, but wow is she's pretty damn good at it." She reached for the brown bag that was on the coffee table. "I got you a croissant though no extra butter considering your stomach."

Bo took the pastry when Lauren handed it to her and she got a small smile on her face. "So you and Amy really hit it off huh?"

Lauren took a bite of her muffin and remarked, "You have no idea and it was so awesome."

Bo's heart broke as she listened to Lauren go on and on about Amy and what had happened last night after she had left. Lauren and Amy had danced two songs before the two of them went to some café to talk and have coffee. The two of them had talked until the placed close and it wasn't until Lauren was catching a cab home did Amy ask her out on a date. Lauren had told Bo that she was reluctant to say yes but she had had such a good time with the other woman that she did say yes and that they had planned a date tomorrow night. Bo managed to eat a little of her croissant while Lauren was talking but by the end of the story she wanted to throw the bit of it that she had eaten up. Lauren was into Amy and it was all her fault. Bo was never going to be able to forgive herself for this.

Bo managed to make it through most of her time with Lauren but when she couldn't listen to her continue on about Amy she told her that she wanted to rest a bit more. Lauren had been on board with the idea and before she left she told Bo that she was going to come over later with soup and movies. After Lauren was gone Bo went back to bed and buried herself under the blankets and cried.

 **xXxXxX**

Several hours later Bo was woken up again by someone knocking on her door. She rolled out of bed and made her way to the front door. She had half the mind to ignore it but if it was either Lauren or Ryan the two of them would stand there for awhile before they started calling her and she preferred the knocking over the phone. At least the knocking would hurt their knuckles. Then again she could shut the phone off. She answered the door and Ryan was standing there with a smile on his face that made his brown eyes twinkle. Bo resisted the urge to groan. She didn't want to deal with Ryan right now. He let out an uneasy chuckle then remarked, "Wow you look like crap. Like even worse than last night and you weren't feeling well. Unless you still feel bad and I'm a douche for saying that."

Bo drew in a deep breath through her nose then said, "It's one of my many talents and yes I feel like shit. Why are you here Ryan?"

He frowned a little. "I wanted to check on you Bo." Bo turned around and walked over to the living room. She fell onto the couch then curled up in one of the corners of it. Ryan sat down next to her. "What's the matter Bo? You've been acting weird ever since the dinner last night."

Bo wrapped her arms around her legs then rested her chin on her knees. "It's nothing. I'm just feeling like shit."

Ryan nodded and said, "Anything I can do to make it better?" Bo glowered at the man. Unless he had a way to get rid of Amy then no. No, there would be no way for him to fix it. Ryan held up his hands. "I was just asking. Do you want me call Lauren over here and have her talk you down?"

"No. Don't call Lauren. She's off discovering love and what not," Bo said barely concealing the bitter edge to her words.

Ryan missed the tone however and chuckled. "Well all be damned. So her and Amy are gonna be a thing huh?"

Bo didn't want to have this discussion with him. She didn't want to have the discussion at all. Bo got up and said, "Ryan I'm still feeling under the weather so can you just leave?"

Ryan was confused by irritated tone in Bo's voice. "Why Bo? I thought we could-"

"I don't want to. I just want to sleep and be alone," Bo said as she wrapped her arms around herself.

She avoided looking at Ryan but at some point he managed to put two and two together and as stood up from the couch he asked, "Are you upset about Lauren and Amy?" He chuckled a little. "Do you think Lauren is going to bail on you now that she's found someone that she's interested in?" Bo glared at him and he chuckled even more. "Bo that's ridiculous. You're her best friend. She's going to want to tell you everything."

"I didn't say that. I don't think I'm going to lose her," Bo snapped as she narrowed her eyes at the man.

Ryan smiled and asked, "Then what is it? Are you breaking up with me?" Bo didn't say anything and his smile faltered. "Are you breaking up with me Bo?"

Bo tried to come up with something but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. "Yes, Ryan."

"But why? I don't understand. We had fun together and I thought we were headed somewhere," Ryan said not understanding where any of this was coming from. But Bo did. She loved someone else and she wasn't going to be able to give her heart to someone. Not fully.

Bo swallowed to moisten her dry throat then said, "Ryan this was never going to work out. It would have been fun for awhile then you would have wanted more and I don't know if I can give more."

Ryan scoffed. "What are you talking about? I don't want more."

"No," Bo stated. "You may not want more now but someday you will and I don't-no, I know I won't be able to give it you."She looked down at the carpet that covered the living room floor. "You deserve someone who will be capable of loving you back," she said in a soft voice. She looked up and met Ryan's wide eyes. "I'm not going to be able to do that Ryan."

"Why not Bo? Are you seeing someone else?" Ryan asked his brow furrowing as he became upset by the thought of her possibly cheating on him.

Bo gave a slight shake of her head, "No. I'm not. I just know I won't be able to love you Ryan."

The confused look came back to his face and Ryan tried to understand why she was saying this but Bo could tell that he wasn't connecting the dots. Then as the realization came over him Bo the edges of Bo's vision began to blur from the tears forming in her eyes. His mouth opened then closed then he breathed out, "It's Lauren."

Bo slammed her eyes closed. Hearing it out loud and from someone else was hard to hear but as she nodded her head, and admitted it to someone else for the first time, she felt a lightness fill her. Then an unexpected thing happen. Ryan's arms wrapped around her and that's when Bo started to cry. She hadn't been expecting the man to show her compassion. In fact she had been expecting him to curse at her but this tenderness was so unexpected and it was too much for her in her fragile emotional state. She cried for a few minutes then once she was able to get a hold of herself Bo pulled back and sniffed. She wiped at her face and asked, "Why are you doing this? I just told you I was in love with someone."

Ryan chuckled a little then told her, "Well let's just say I'm not really surprised about it." He sighed. "I've wondered about your feelings for Lauren. I get that you and her are close but sometimes I catch you looking at her and I find myself hoping that you would look at me the same way." His mouth turned up for a smirk but the mirth of it didn't reach his eyes. "You look at her like she created the stars or something."

Bo felt guilty because she knew exactly what he was talking about because she had felt the same way last night. "Ry-"

He pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't apologize Bo. I get it and yeah I'm a little upset that's it's not me but I'm certain you've loved Lauren a lot longer than you would like to admit." He gave a small shrug. "So I got here too late."

Bo took a deep breath and let out. She didn't deserve how kind Ryan was being to her. "Thank you."

Ryan chuckled then he scratched the back of his head. "Uhh…I guess you're welcome." He smiled then reached out to brush a lock of her out of her face. "I guess I should get out of here." Bo nodded. He moved and began to head for the door and before he opened it he said, "I would have loved you with everything Bo."

Bo gave him a tearful smile. "I know."

Ryan looked at her for a second longer then added, "You should tell her Bo. Tell her before you lose her." He opened the door then walked out of the apartment and out of Bo's life.

Bo felt relieved that she had told someone about her love for Lauren but she had also broken someone's heart. Bo sat down on the couch and she stared at the black screen of the TV that was in front of it. She didn't know what she was going to do. Bo wanted to tell Lauren but at the same time Lauren was her everything and if she lost that then she would have nothing. Bo pulled off the blanket that was on back of the couch then wrapped it around herself. She laid down and stared at the TV hoping that the blackness of the screen would give her an answer to the biggest problem of her life.


	3. Less Than Twenty-Four Hours

****Disclaimer: ** **I do not own the characters they belong to the wonderful people of Lost Girl, Showcase, Prodigy, et al.********

* * *

Bo looked out at her backyard and sighed. Tomorrow was the day and she didn't think she would be ready for it. Then again she didn't think she would ever be ready for it. Lauren was inside saying bye to the final guests that had attended her and Amy's bachelorette party. Amy had left a half hour ago because her mom had a night planned for the two of them so that woman wouldn't think too much about her wedding jitters. Bo hadn't been able to watch Lauren and Amy say goodbye to each other so she went to her bedroom and sat on the balcony that was attached to it. It was one of the many reasons why she had bought the place. Another reason was the location. It was thirty minutes outside of the city but the quiet was nice and she got to see the stars at night. Bo looked up and as a haze of cigarette smoke crossed her field of vision she was able to spot Jupiter. Bo didn't smoke frequently and when she did it was because she was stressed. But tonight she was smoking because she felt like a hopeless coward and was frustrated with herself.

Bo was putting out the cigarette in a planter that was next to the lounge chair that she was sitting when she heard Lauren in her room. "There you are." Bo turned her head so that she could look at the door. Lauren walked out onto the balcony and smiled at her. "Why are you hiding out?" The smile turned into a frown. "Are you smoking? Bo, I'm going to hurt you. I thought you quit."

Bo chuckled a little then remarked, "Have you been here the last six months? Dealing with you and planning your wedding has been a pain in the ass." Lauren kicked her shin, making Bo whimper a little, then she sat down in the spot that was between Bo's legs then she leaned back against her. Like always Bo wrapped her arm around her. She pointed to a bright burning star that was in the sky and said, "Jupiter's awfully close tonight."

Lauren nodded. "Yeah it's gotten to that point in the year where it's rotation is a bit closer." The two of them fell quiet and Bo picked up her glass off the small table that was next to the chair and took a long drink from it. She knew Lauren was deep in thought because she hadn't gone off on a rant about the planet's trajectory.

"Did you clean or is that why you came to find me?" Bo asked with small smile on her face.

Lauren chuckled a little then said, "I only came to find you because once I said bye to my cousins I realized that you had disappeared but yes we do need to clean." She sighed. "Tomorrow's the day."

"Less than twenty-four hours," Bo remarked even though she felt her heart waver at the fact that Lauren was closer to marrying Amy.

Lauren nodded then drew in a deep breath. Silence fell over them again and after several minutes Lauren chuckled then said, "You know for the longest time I thought that you and I were going to grow up and become these two old spinsters who lived together and pissed each other off all the time."

Bo smiled at the image that her brain came up with. She also thought they would have grown old together and would have lived together but the circumstances had been different in her fantasy. "Well of course we would have pissed each other off all the time. You get all bossy and I like to annoy you so I think it's for the best that you're marrying Amy." On some level Bo meant it but only for Lauren's sake.

Lauren pinched her thigh and she hissed in pain. "You could be nicer to me since I'm getting married in less than twenty-four hours. Also if you would just accept that I am right a majority of the time we would be fine."

Bo scoffed. "And ruin a perfectly good friendship? I don't think so."

Lauren chuckled then she got serious. "I really did think that was going to happen but then you found Ryan and I had found Amy but now I'm worried that you won't find anyone Bo."

Bo hadn't dated anyone since she dumped Ryan three years ago and it had taken her a week to tell Lauren about the break up because she didn't want her to blame him. The fault lied with her. After she had broken up with Ryan, Bo had accepted the fact that Lauren was the only person she was going to love and by the time she was ready to swallow her fear and tell Lauren that she loved her it had been too late. Lauren had been well on her way to falling in love with Amy. Bo swallowed hard then gave Lauren a gentle squeeze. "I'll be fine Lauren. Don't worry about me."

Lauren sat up and looked at her. In the low light that was coming from the lamp that was on in Bo's room she saw a small smile come to her face. "I know you will be Bo, but you deserve love too." She shook her head. "I feel like it isn't fair. After all you've been through I feel like the universe owes you one."

Bo looked into Lauren's eyes and she wanted to tell Lauren everything. Tell her how the universe had given her what she needed but she was too afraid to go after it and now it was too late. She swallowed to pushed down the lump in her throat then she smiled. "The universe gave me you and that's the one thing I'm most grateful for Lauren."

Lauren smiled at her then she chuckled. "I know you are and I'm grateful for you too but it's so-"

"Enough Lauren. Me and my lack of a love life shouldn't be a concern for you right now. All you should be worried about is getting down the aisle tomorrow without tripping over your feet and falling onto your face." The comment had the desired effect and Lauren scowled at Bo.

"I'm not going to trip over my feet." She sat back against Bo and the two of them fell silent again. A few minutes passed then Lauren said, "It's going to be weird being married."

Bo chuckled a little and asked, "Why?"

Lauren shrugged. "I don't know. It just is. I think it's the commitment aspect. Being with this one person for the rest of my life." She sighed. "It's huge."

Bo grinned then pointed out, "You and I have been friends for sixteen years. So it's not much different." She knew that Lauren's eyes were rolling.

Lauren sat up again and said, "Marrying Amy is a huge difference from my friendship with you. We've been through a lot together."

"And you will go through a lot with Amy. Fights, kids, buying a house," Bo pointed out then she sighed. "Then next thing you know you'll have been with her for fifteen years and couldn't imagine your life with anyone else. You'll be fine Lauren and I'll be here if you ever need to vent. Although if I am on a deserted island with an obscene amount of alcohol and attractive people I request that you not bother me."

Lauren chuckled and remarked, "Still dreaming about that island full of sex slaves and booze huh?"

Bo grinned and told, "And I will keep on dreaming about it until it becomes a reality. Even if I am ninety and close to death."

The two of them began to laugh then as Lauren caught her breath she asked, "If you die do I get the island?"

Bo smiled at her. "I guess but you'll have to take care of my many sex slaves."

"I'll be married," Lauren stated with grin.

"Then I guess you don't get the island," Bo told her with a laugh.

Lauren narrowed her eyes at her and said, "That's not fair."

Bo smirked. "Well I guess you didn't think this whole marrying Amy thing through then. Missing out on all my gorgeous sex slaves."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Time to come back to reality Bo." Bo chuckled and Lauren sighed. "We should go back in and clean up from the party."

Bo nodded. "Yep." She didn't want to go back in and clean up. She wanted to stay out on the balcony with Lauren in the warm night air laughing about a fantasy island that would never come true. Soon it would all be different. Lauren wasn't going to be hers anymore. She would be Amy's. They would still be best friends but Amy would always come first. That thought alone brought Bo's melancholy state back in full swing. She got up from the lounger and said, "Let's get to it." Bo was heading into her room when she felt Lauren's arms wrap around her from behind. "What's the matter Lauren?"

Lauren let go of her and Bo turned around. The woman in front of her smiled. "Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to thank you. For always being there for me. Sticking up for me. Getting me through the crazy points of my life and bringing the love of my life into it." Bo heart ripped at that but somehow she was able to smile as Lauren continued. "I know that Amy is the love my life but you're my soul mate Bo and that's never going to change."

Accepting that that was all she was going to get from Lauren, Bo wrapped her arms around her and whispered, "I love you Lauren and I will always be here for you. No matter what." Bo held on tighter to Lauren and she closed her eyes so that she wouldn't start to cry.

"I love you too Bo and I know," Lauren said as she squeezed Bo just as tight. The two of them stood there a moment longer then Lauren moved away. "Okay we really need to go clean. Because soon it'll be one in the morning and I will have gotten little sleep then I'll look like shit on my wedding day."

Bo chuckled and asked, "So it will just be another day for you then?"

Lauren swatted her shoulder with the back of her hand then she shot back, "I may look like shit but at least I'm still better looking than you."

Bo laughed then commented, "Now look who's living in a delusional world?"

The two of them made their way back inside then headed to the living room. Even as they joked Bo's heart was hurting but at the same time she had Lauren in her life, and knowing that the woman was in her life at all was all it took to keep Bo from dwelling on the feelings that Lauren would never be able to return. After tomorrow they wouldn't matter anyway.

* * *

 _A Year Ago….._

Bo was drumming her fingers on the polished wood of the small table that she was sitting at. Lauren had called and asked if she wanted to meet for lunch. It wasn't one of their normal lunch days so Bo was nervous. She was nervous because Lauren and Amy had been dating for the last two years and had been living together for the last six months. Bo had expecting the worse for the longest time now. The further Lauren and Amy got into their relationship the more Bo realized that she was too late. She started to think that she should leave and go away. There was an opening at her company's Tokyo office and she was contemplating on taking it. She couldn't stay and watch as Lauren continued to build a life with Amy because at some point that was going to involve marriage and a family. Bo felt her stomach turn. There was no way she would be able to handle a wedding and since she was Lauren's best friend she was probably going to have to help plan it. If she had to do that then she knew that she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut. Bo didn't know what would happen at this point. Lauren loved Amy, but if she found out that Bo was in love with her as well would she still want to stay with her? Bo sighed. She took a drink from the glass of water that was sitting in front of her then continued to drum her fingers on the tabletop. Bo resigned to fact that she wouldn't be able to do that. Lauren's happiness was always a priority for her and Amy made her happy so wasn't going to do anything that ruined that. Bo ran her fingers through her hair and blew out a frustrated breath. She hoped that this was just a surprise lunch and that Lauren only wanted to hang out with her.

A few minutes later Lauren came walking into the restaurant and she rushed over to the table. As she sat down she said, "Sorry. I was on time then some asshole in a cheap suit decided to take my cab. You did right by moving out of the city. The place is annoying as hell."

The first thing Bo did as soon as she saw Lauren was check her left hand. She had been doing that a lot more here of late. She didn't want something like that to take her by surprise because if it did she most likely would suffer an emotional break and that was the last thing she wanted. She smiled at Lauren and remarked, "It's not that bad and I only moved to the middle of nowhere because I like the quiet and I can see the stars."

Lauren chuckled then commented, "I'm starting to think you're a secret astronomer."

"I could be. But if I am it's all your fault since we made a habit of going out to the baseball field at night," Bo said with a small smile on face. That had been at a more innocent time in their lives. She and Lauren laying in the baseball field talking about the stars, planets, and everything else two teenaged girls would talk about. It was something that they did until the both of them went off to college and when they came home from break they would go lay out in the baseball field at night. It was while they had been lying in the middle of the baseball field that Bo realized that she was in love with Lauren. She had been sixteen at the time and had no idea what to do with the feeling. In the end she had chosen the wrong thing and now Lauren was with someone else instead of her.

Lauren let out a small laugh. "But we had so much fun and I'm glad you bought that house though. When we're out there on your deck it does bring back those memories."

Bo grinned and told her, "Well that was an ulterior motive for me getting the house." The joke was a half-truth. She had gotten the house because it was nice and in a quiet location but also knowing that she would get a clear view of the night sky was another reason. Whenever she saw the stars she thought of Lauren. It was self inflicted torture but at the same time it gave her peace. She drew in a breath and asked, "So what's with the impromptu lunch? Which you're paying for by the way."

Lauren glared at her for a second then she began to chew on her bottom lip. All of Bo's nerves came rushing back as she watched the apprehensive look appear on the woman's face. The nerves that she had been feeling earlier had alleviated when Bo didn't see an engagement ring on Lauren's finger but now that they were back and her stomach was starting to churn. The woman was nervous about something but what she was nervous about Bo couldn't figure out. Maybe it was something to do with Amy. Then she thought it was probably about work and as Bo waited for Lauren to answer her question her mind raced with all the things that Lauren would want to talk about. "As we both know I've been dating Amy for quite some time now," Lauren started and Bo's heart began to race. Lauren wanted to talk about Amy. "And I think that she might be the one Bo. I mean she gets along great with you and you like her, which is a miracle since you hate everyone I date, and my parents like her so I was thinking that I was going to propose to her."

Bo wanted to vomit. No, she was going to vomit. Bo pressed her hand to her stomach. All this time she had been expecting Amy to propose to Lauren not the opposite. Lauren didn't seem like the type of person who would do such a thing but here she was proving her wrong, again. Bo sat in a stunned silence for the longest time and Lauren said, "You think it's a bad idea don't you?"

Bo fought hard to say anything but the shock of Lauren wanting to propose to Amy was making her brain stall. She let out a laugh, which came out as more of a forced breath, and she was certain it had been because she knew at some point that she had stopped breathing. "No, Lauren I uh-I didn't think you would be the one to propose to someone."

"I know," Lauren stated with a huge smile on her face. As she continued talking Bo took a sip of her water as she tried to get her brain functioning again but she couldn't. All she could think about was the fact that Lauren wanted to marry Amy. She definitely was going to be sick. She couldn't watch Lauren marry another woman. She bit the inside of her lip. But Lauren would want her there and if she wasn't then Lauren would be upset and disappointed. Bo wanted to run from the restaurant and away from the situation that she was currently in. Bo was finally able to comprehend what Lauren was saying a few seconds later. "….I love her and she makes me happy and she gets along with you which is definitely huge and, and I really want to spend the rest of my life with her." She paused for a moment then asked, "You don't think it's a bad idea or that I'm rushing into something?"

Bo took another sip of her water so that it would help her swallow the bitter pill that she was being forced to take. "I mean if you love her and you feel like it's the next thing you want to do in your relationship with Amy then I," her voice faltered. Bo cleared her throat. "I don't see why you shouldn't propose to her." Bo's heart was breaking. She knew she should say something. Let Lauren know that she had someone who loved her probably more than Amy did but then what would happen? Was Lauren going to believe her or was she going to think this was some ploy to get her away from Amy because she was the jealous best friend? She had painted herself into a corner with no way out. The only thing she could do was accept the consequences of her cowardice.

There was a permanent smile on Lauren's face and knowing that she wasn't the source for it only made Bo want to lock herself in her room so that she wouldn't have to see any of this. Lauren reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. "I'm so glad that you are on board with this. When I told my mom she thought that two years was too soon for us but I'll tell her that you think it's fine and maybe she'll shut up."

It hurt Bo to smile. "I'm certain she will." She had no idea where to take the conversation next. All Bo knew was that she wanted to get out of the restaurant and away from Lauren. She didn't want to cry in front of her.

Bo opened her mouth to tell Lauren that she needed to get back to the office but Lauren gasped then said, "Bo you have to help me with this engagement. I have no idea what to do and I'm certain I'll probably end up doing something that will result in me and Amy arguing or something."

Bo clenched her hands together under the table. She can't believe that this was happening to her. That Lauren was really asking her to help her with her proposal. She knew that Lauren could be unaware of other peoples' feelings sometimes but she had to of noticed that her best friend's heart was literally breaking in front of her. Then again she had no reason to think that. Lauren didn't know that Bo was deeply in love with her. Repressing the hurt that she was feeling Bo decided that she was going to do this. Help Lauren get the happiness that she deserved even if it wasn't with her. She smiled at Lauren. "I'll help you with you and your proposal. You might end up telling Amy she has a huge ass or something."

Lauren laughed then said, "You're probably right." She grinned. "You want to see the ring?"

Again, in a matter of ten minutes, Lauren had surprised the hell out of her. However this time it felt like a slap to the face. "You got the ring?"

Lauren turned in her chair then she began to dig around in the hand bag that was hanging off the back of her chair. When she turned back around there was a black ring box in her hand then she opened it and placed it on the table. As Bo stared at the ring which was a subtle one that didn't catch people's attention but if the wearer did decide to show it off those looking at it would be impressed. It was like the ring captured Amy's personality perfectly. She continued to stare at the ring and the world fell away as the reality of Lauren being engaged and eventually getting married hit her hard. Her vision became blurry and she hadn't realized that she had started crying until Lauren asked, "Bo what's the matter?"

Everything was the matter but now none of that mattered. Lauren was set on marrying Amy. Bo picked up the cloth napkin that was lying on the table then dabbed at her eyes before she said, "Nothing Lauren. There's nothing wrong." Another lie. Everything was wrong but she had no idea how to fix it without it messing everything up between her and Lauren. A tight smile came to her face."I can't believe you're actually going to do this."

Lauren picked up the ring and told her, "I can't believe it either. But I had seen it the other day and I was like this is Amy's engagement ring. And once I had that thought everything snowballed from there." She smiled. "It all sort of just clicked together." Lauren's eyes met Bo's. "She's the one Bo."

The false smile remained on Bo's face as she said, "I'm happy for you Lauren." And that was another lie but she knew that at some point she was going to find a place where she could be happy for Lauren. Be happy that she had found the love that she deserved with someone who was willing to go after her. Bo wasn't that person. She had been too afraid and too busy second guessing everything that she had talked herself out of going after the woman she loved. Seeing the happiness on Lauren's face told that she had two options: tell Lauren the truth or be the supportive friend that she had been for the last fifteen years. The former could ruin everything while the latter created her own personal hell. She took another drink of water then sighed before she asked, "Do you have any ideas on how you want to do it?" A grin came to Lauren's face and as the two of them started discussing ideas for how she was going to propose to Amy, Bo began to learn how to accept the inevitable.


	4. The Wedding

****Disclaimer: ** **I do not own the characters they belong to the wonderful people of Lost Girl, Showcase, Prodigy, et al.********

* * *

Words couldn't describe how breathtaking Lauren looked in her wedding dress. Bo had seen her in it a number of times already for fittings and things, but seeing her in it while she waited for the music to play so that she could walk down the aisle was a magnificent sight to see. In true Lauren fashion the dress was simple and it fit perfectly considering the mishap that had happened a few days ago. The dress was made of white chiffon and had a v-neckline. There was white beading on the straps that held it up and there was some beading on the torso of it as well. The embroidered parts of the dress shimmered in the sunlight that filtered through the trees and only added to how stunning Lauren looked. When Lauren began to walk down the aisle Bo's breath caught in her throat. She became mesmerized by the woman as she walked down the white cloth that made up the aisle with her dad. Bo imagined that Lauren was walking towards her several times already but the ever present ache that was in her heart reminded her that that wasn't the case and she had to fight to keep the smile on her face. Lauren flashed her a quick smile then she took her place next to Amy.

It was a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding. The venue that Amy and Lauren had chosen was in a section of the public gardens that was in the park that was located in the middle of the city. The area that the wedding was being held at was part of the tree sanctuary so there was a lot shade but some sunlight managed to get through the dense leaves. The setting made it feel as though they were getting married in some enchanted forest. The whole thing was amazing and Bo couldn't think of a more ideal setting for Lauren to get married in. Bo was desperately trying to keep her gaze from staying on Lauren but it was a hard thing for her to do since the woman was so beautiful. Lauren's blonde hair had been curled and was cascading down her exposed back. The happy smile that was on her face matched the joyful twinkle that was in her eyes and there was nothing but adoration for the woman that was in front of her in them. Bo bit the inside of her lip and looked away. It was going to take a miracle for her to make it through the ceremony without crying. But she knew that once everything that was said and done she was going to give into the anguish that she had been burying and mourn the loss of the woman that she loved more than life itself.

"Marriage is not just a union between two people who have found a profound love for each other. It is also a partnership. A partnership that tells everyone, friends, family, and others; that you have chosen this person to share your life with and that you accept and love them for who they are." The justice of the peace said as he smiled at the two women standing in front of him. "Love is something that cements a relationship together but without the bricks of respect and loving a person for who they are it can cause gaps within the foundation that is needed to have a successful marriage."

Bo drew a slow, deep breath in through her nose. She wanted to bolt from the place. There was no way she could stand there and listen to the man go on about love and celebrating it when the love of her life was marrying another woman. She blew out the breath that she had drawn in and focused back on the man. "Amy and Lauren have decided to embark on a journey that will give them not only tremendous joy but also take them through events that will challenge the both of them," Bo wanted to roll her eyes. She and Lauren wouldn't have challenges if they had been together. Sure the two of them bickered a lot but at the end of it all she would love Lauren regardless. There was no way Amy was ready to face the difficult challenges that would come. She had only been with Lauren a little over three years and she had yet to see the worst of her.

"Yet if they lean on each other in those trying times and share their thoughts and feelings with one another then their foundation will only fortify itself," the man said with a hopeful smile on his face. Bo found herself growing more agitated the longer the man droned on. None of this was right. She was the one Lauren told everything to. Amy wouldn't be able to handle those aspects that made Lauren, Lauren because she hadn't seen them yet. She had only experienced the good. Bo was Lauren's foundation and Lauren was hers. No, none of this was right.

Bo focused on the justice of the peace's mouth as he spoke then she glanced at Amy and Lauren. The longer she stared the tighter the tension in her chest became. This wasn't right. It should have been her and Lauren and nothing else. The universe didn't put Lauren in Bo's life for her to get married to someone else. She was put there to show her happiness, love, support, and everything else that made her life fulfilling. Bo gave a slight shake of her head and murmured, "No, this isn't right." The tightness in her chest grew to an excruciating point and Bo started to think that she was going to have a heart attack but that's not what was causing the tightness. Bo took several glances out at those looking at the happy couple that was in front of them. Everything about this was wrong.

"Now the two brides would like to exchange vows that they have written for each other," the justice of peace said before he gestured to Lauren. The decision to find out who would say their vows first had been decided with a coin toss which had been flipped by Bo. How had she let it come to this point?

Lauren opened her mouth to say her vows but then she looked back at Bo with a confused look. Bo's heart was pounding in her chest. Had she said something? It was hard for her to tell with all the blood rushing in her ears. "Bo?"

Bo took a deep breath then she was able to hear the words that she had already spoken. "I love you." The air grew tense but Bo felt an overwhelming sense of relief come over her and as she stood there staring at Lauren she found the courage and strength to share with her, her true feelings. "I love you, Lauren. And I don't mean in some small you're my best friend way. I'm talking take a bullet for you, stand outside your room window with a fricking radio over my head, kind of love you." A torrential outpouring of words began to fall from her mouth. "I have been in love with you since we were sixteen and staring at the stars in the middle of the baseball field. But I couldn't bear the thought of losing you after having lost my parents so I buried it. I buried it so far and so deep that I wished to every deity that I could think of that it would go away. But it didn't. The longer I repressed it the more in love with you I got."

"I thought if I found someone who I could love half as much as I did you then I would be fine. I would have something that resembled love and I would have my best friend. I would have everything except what I really wanted but that was fine. I was willing to accept that and it worked for a little while and then Ryan came along and he saw right through me the night you met Amy." Bo shook her head as tears began to fill her eyes. "I didn't expect you to fall in love with her and I for damn sure didn't expect this, but I was willing to do it because not only do I love you but you are my best friend. But Lauren this isn't right and I should have told you a long time ago but I was a coward. I'm even a coward now, doing this on what should be the happiest day of your life but I couldn't do it. Not when I know that you can everything you want and more with me."

The tension in the air was so thick that Bo felt it closing in on her. Lauren stood there in a wide-eyed silence. As the seconds ticked by the reality of what she had done slammed into Bo and this time she didn't ignore her desire to flee. She dropped the small bouquet of flowers that was holding and fled from the wedding. As she rushed down the aisle tears blurred her vision and it wasn't until she was walking out of the entrance for the tree sanctuary did she allow them to fall. She felt relief because Lauren now knew the truth but at the same time she felt miserable. Because not only had she embarrassed her best friend on her wedding day, Bo also knew that Lauren would never talk to her again. She headed for the main entrance of the park then hailed a cab so that she could go get her car from Lauren and Amy's apartment building. As the cab made its way down the street Bo stared up at the roof of the car. Tears fell from her eyes as she thought about the love and best friend that she had just lost.

* * *

 _Two Weeks Later…._

Bo was working from home again. She had been doing it for the last two weeks. Word of her infamous display of verbal diarrhea was still too fresh and she knew that Amy still had friends with her company. Bo was emailing one of the members of her team about a client that they were having trouble closing a contract for so she was going to take over the client and get the deal closed by the end of week. She leaned back in her office chair and looked up at the ceiling then her eyes landed on the picture of her and Lauren on the beach and she felt her heart break for the millionth time within two weeks. Lauren hadn't called her. Lauren hadn't come to see her. Lauren had cut Bo out of her life. Bo felt a prickling sensation in the corner of her eyes then the tears formed of them. The very thing that she had been afraid of had occurred and now she wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Bo wiped away an errant tear that had fallen then let her hand dangle over the arm of her chair. A cold, wet nose nudged her hand and she rolled her head so that she could look into the dark, questioning eyes that were looking at her. She smirked a little then scratched the top of the dog's head. "I'm okay Oscar. I just miss her."

Getting a dog had been a spur of the moment thing for her but between the drinking and self-loathing thoughts she was certain she was going to head down a path that she hadn't been down in a long time and the puppy prevented that. Oscar put his front paw on her leg and she chuckled a little then moved so that the four month old lab could jump up on her lab. She scratched him behind his ears and asked, "You wanna go play outside? Let's go play outside." Oscar yelped then jumped off her lab before he bolted from her office. Bo chuckled as she rushed after him. He was by the back door in the living room dancing around waiting for her to let him out. The two of them went outside and played and playing with Oscar kept the melancholy thoughts from her mind.

An hour later she and Oscar were walking up the steps of the back deck when the door bell rang. When Oscar didn't go running inside the house Bo laughed then said, "We need to work on your stamina buddy. You're useless as a guard dog if you get worn out after an hour of playing."

They walked through the back door and Oscar walked over to the couch then jumped on it. Bo watched him find his comfy spot before he plopped down. She shook her head. She had only had him for a week and he was already a spoiled puppy. The door bell rang again and Bo rolled her eyes as she went to go answer it. It was probably her neighbor checking to see if she was all right. Bo had gotten to know her neighbor that lived down the road since she wasn't in the city so much these days. The woman was nice but she always wanted to pair her up with her son. She chuckled as she unlocked the deadbolt. Bo opened the door and said, "Carol-" She stopped short when she saw who it was. "Lauren."

"I've gone through it all over and over again," Lauren said as she pushed past Bo to get into the house. "And the only thing I can come up with is that you're a complete moron. I wouldn't have stopped being your friend because you love me-" Bo went to go say something but Lauren held up her hand and said, "Shut up. I'm talking right now. You let all that out and I didn't get a chance to say anything so I get to talk. We have been best friends since we were fourteen and we have been through so much together and I wouldn't have thrown away the relationship that we had Bo. You're my best friend. I mean I held you when your grandfather passed away six years ago, I was there for you through every bad relationship, and I was there for everything that you went through. Whether I knew it or not I was always there for you and I made sure that I was available to you." Lauren began to pace and as she headed for the living room she stopped then she looked back at Bo. "You got a dog?" Bo nodded. The other woman shook her head, "He's already spoiled. I'll have to fix that when I move in."

Bo's eyebrows furrowed. She was certain that she hadn't heard correctly. "What?"

Lauren walked over to her and when she was close enough she said, "I said that I'm going to have to correct whatever you done to spoil the dog when I move in."

Okay, so she had heard correctly. "Move in?"

Lauren shook her head then she took hold of Bo's face and before Bo could register what was going on Lauren's lips were on hers. Bo tensed up at the contact then she melted into the kiss as her brain realized that she was getting the one thing that she had always dreamed of. Bo wrapped her arms around Lauren's waist and deepened the kiss. It lasted for several moments then Bo broke it and pressed her forehead to Lauren's. She had her eyes shut tight. If this was a dream she didn't want to wake up from it but at the same time she had to know. "What are you saying? What does this mean?"

Lauren placed her hand on the sides of her head then lifted it so that she could look into Bo's eyes. She grinned and said, "It means, you moron, that I'm in love with you too."

A huge smile broke out on Bo's face then she kissed Lauren again. She had so many questions and she wanted to know if Lauren actually wanted to move in with but for right now Bo was content to do the one thing that she had been longing to do since she was sixteen, kissing the woman that she loved.

* * *

 **Epilogue is next...**


	5. Epilogue

****Disclaimer: ** **I do not own the characters they belong to the wonderful people of Lost Girl, Showcase, Prodigy, et al.********

* * *

 _A Week Ago..._

Lauren was sitting in her apartment eating cereal out of a box while she barely registered what was playing on TV. Her life was in shambles. Her wedding to Amy had been ruined then on top of that when she had gone to console the woman after she had run from the alter Amy had yelled for her to go away. Shouting how she had been made a fool in front of her friends and family and how she had never been so embarrassed in her life. When Lauren had insisted that Amy talk to her the woman opened the door of the dressing room that she was in and demanded to know Lauren if had known about Bo's feelings. When Lauren had told her no Amy called her a liar and slammed the dressing room door in her face. Lauren understood the response. The woman had been hurt and embarrassed so she didn't believe anything Lauren said. Then Amy called everything off. The wedding, the engagement….everything; and the two of them hadn't talked about anything.

Lauren had given Amy a few days to process and cool off but when she had called her a few days ago the call hadn't resulted in them having an in-depth discussion that would lead to their reconciliation. Instead it led to more questions about Bo and Amy questioning Lauren's feelings for her. By the time the conversation ended Amy had told her that she found it hard to believe that Lauren didn't know about Bo's feelings towards her. Then Amy began to go on about how things never seemed to add up between Lauren and Bo. After that she had admitted that she didn't want to wake up one morning and find out that the woman that she was married to was in love with someone else. Upon hearing the admission Lauren thought that she was going to claim that she loved only Amy. That she didn't feel the same away about Bo, but she didn't and it was her lack of a response that caused Amy to end things with her.

Lauren picked up the remote and began to flick through the channels as she muttered under her breath, "Nothing makes any fucking sense anymore." She could have gone back to work since she wasn't on her honeymoon, but she was still dealing with the aftermath of a ruined wedding and a love confession and she didn't think she could deal with complex scientific formulas at the moment. She looked around the apartment and there were things, things that had become staples in the apartment, that were missing. Amy had come for her stuff the day before and had moved in with a friend of hers. Their interaction had been brief and Lauren had left so that Amy could get her stuff without her hovering around.

Then there was Bo. Lauren blew out a breath. She hadn't called her. Hadn't gone to her house. Nothing. She didn't know what she would say or do to the woman. Bo had dropped an atomic bomb on their friendship and it had been one that she had been carrying since they were teenagers. Lauren threw the remote on the empty spot next to her on the couch. How could she have missed that? That was the one question that had been running through her mind for the last week and she hadn't come up with anything.

Lauren felt that Bo's love for her should have been an obvious thing for her to pick up on since they had spent almost every waking moment together when they were younger. And that hadn't changed as they got older. Not after they graduated high school. Not when they went to separate colleges. Hell, whey they were in college she and Bo would visit each other almost every other day despite the two hour drive. But Lauren never would have guessed that Bo was in love with her. For the most part she always thought that Bo was being Bo. The girl who protected her from bullies and encouraged her to be a space geek. Lauren sighed. She knew that she could be oblivious to other people's feelings, that was one thing that always irritated Amy, but to be completely unaware of the fact that her best friend of sixteen years was in love with her was something that confounded her immensely.

There was a knock on her door and Lauren groaned. She wasn't ready to be around people yet. She still had some more wallowing to do. She stayed on the couch, hoping that whoever was knocking on her door went away, but they didn't. There was another knock and Lauren groaned again. She got up and as she trudged over to the door she ran her hand through her hair. She needed a shower and to change into some normal clothes. Something that wasn't an oversized sweatshirt and worn sweatpants. Lauren answered the door and when she saw who it was she groaned. "Mom why are you here? I thought you had gone back home."

"I did but you ou stopped answering your phone so I came back. I had to make sure you weren't dead," her nose crinkled as she looked Lauren over with a scrutinizing gaze. "Clearly though you have given up on proper hygiene."

Lauren turned around and headed back to the couch. She plopped down on it and said, "I was headed for the shower."

Her mom scoffed. "Now you're lying to your mother. You're on a streak these days."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Mom why are you really here? Other than to criticize me."

Her mom sat next to her and said, "I really did want to check on you. How are you?"

Lauren let out a noise that was half snort and half scoff. "My fiancée dumped me because my best friend declared her love for me in the middle of our wedding. Then to make things even better I never knew Bo felt that way so I feel like an idiot." She scoffed. "So I feel fan-frickin'-tastic

Lauren stared at animated show that was playing on the TV. She really did feel like an idiot because she felt that this was something that she should have known. Her mom cleared her throat and stated, "I do agree that Bo should have picked a more appropriate time to tell you such a thing but hindsight is twenty-twenty for a reason." She paused for a moment then asked in a gentle tone, "But Lauren how did you not know how she felt towards you?"

Lauren got frustrated at the question. It was the same question she had been asking herself for the last week. She stood up and threw her hands in the air. "I don't know mom. I don't know. We've been inseparable for the last sixteen years. We tell each other everything and talk about everything, so you would think that this was something that she should have bought up a long time ago."

Her mom let out a soft breath then pointed out, "I don't think it was that that simple for her. Her parents died when she was fourteen, she almost died with them and her grandfather was the only family she had then she lost him," her mom shrugged. "Maybe she couldn't take losing another person that she was close too." Lauren shoulders dropped as all the frustration seeped out of her. She sat down on the couch then rested her elbows on her knees before she covered her face with her hands. Bo had been dealt the crappiest hand by life. "And I think that choosing her best friend over declaring her love for you was something she had chosen because of that."

Lauren bit her bottom lip as her mom's words sunk into her brain. It was true. Bo didn't trust easily. Maybe it was because of what she had been through or maybe she did it to protect herself, but whatever it was, it meant that she kept people at distance. Lauren was the only person Bo allowed herself to fully open up to. Lauren drew in a deep breath then dropped her hands from her face. "But had she told me we could have talked about it. I mean it wouldn't have been a stretch for me to love her back." Lauren chuckled a little then she revealed a secret that she had never shared with anyone. "I loved Bo once but when she dated a string of guys that were beyond attractive it made me realize that we would only be friends"

Her mom took her hand and she gave it a reassuring squeeze. The two them were quiet a moment as Lauren's confession lingered between. Out the corner of her eye Lauren saw her mom smile a little. "Maybe she dated those guys because no woman could take the place of the one woman that she truly loved." Lauren highly doubted that but considering Bo's confession at the wedding it was possible. "Have you talked to her?" She shook her head no. "I think the two of you should talk, like adults, and see where you stand. I think you two can still be friends if you can't return her feelings and I think she wants to be your friend even if it's going to be a challenge for her to accept the fact that you two will only be friends."

Lauren frowned. She didn't think she wanted to be Bo's friend, not now. Everything had changed between them. She let her head fall back onto the couch and she stared up at the ceiling. Bo loved her and once upon a time she loved Bo. But did that mean that she could love her back? She brought her head down then looked at her mom. "I don't want her to accept anything mom. Bo shouldn't have to accept anything. I think-" She bit then inside of her lip then said, "I think I've always been in love with Bo even when I thought it wasn't possible." She ran her hands over her hair then tried to explain the confusing thoughts that were going through her head. "Bo and I's friendship is something that has always been more than friends but less than lovers. It has been that way since we were seniors in high school but because she dated guys I put her in this little box and put a best friend label on it." She gestured with her hands and said, "Bo is my best friend and that's all she is to me. I continued to interpret my love for her as platonic but I don't think it's ever been platonic." Lauren chuckled. "I think I fell in love with my best friend and tried to lie to myself about it."

"Even though you're a brilliant woman you do have your dense moments dear," her mom said with a smirk on her face and Lauren glared at her. Her mom chuckled then admitted, "When you and Amy started dating I hadn't thought much on it. You dated then your work distracted you. But I always thought, on some level, that you and Bo would become something." Lauren's eyes grew wide and her mom said, "It's weird to say but I saw the way that she was with you. Always supporting you, caring for you, and she brings out the best in you. I thought to myself that if I had to pick someone for you to marry it would have been Bo Dennis. Then she started dating guys and I thought I had read too much into the interaction that was between the two o f you. But I thought maybe one day it would happen. This is why I was a little reluctant to give my blessing to you proposing to Amy."

Lauren couldn't believe what she was hearing and she stared at her mom for another moment before she asked, "And you didn't say anything? Also you eventually gave your blessing to me proposing to Amy."

"Would you have believed me when you were younger?" Her mom countered and Lauren frowned because she knew she wouldn't have. As teenager she thought that she was never going to date anyone and that no one would want to date her. Her mom sighed then said, "And I approved of your proposal to Amy because I thought that she was the next best choice."

"I thought she was the best and only choice," Lauren murmured. She loved Amy but now as she thought about it their love had been something that was comfortable. She had enjoyed it and Lauren did like who Amy was, but she had always felt that something had been missing and she had ignored it because she thought it was her insecurities messing with her. Apparently that wasn't the case.

A soft hum came from her mom then the she wondered, "So what are you going to do?"

Lauren watched the animated rabbit chase after the hunter for a moment. That was something she had been thinking about for the last week. But now that she had a clearer understanding of her own thoughts and feelings and the next step was now, after all these years, obvious. Lauren smiled at her mom. "I'm going to shower first. Then I'm going to go talk to my best friend."

Her mom nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a good idea and what about Amy?"

Lauren sighed then told her, "Amy and I talked a few days ago. That's over. She thinks I knew about Bo's feelings for me and had hid it from her. I told her that I didn't but she didn't believe me. I don't think she ever will." She gave a small shrug. "I know she'll be angry at me for awhile but soon she'll see that it was for the best for the both of us."

Her mom nodded and said, "I'm sure she will." Her mom got up from the couch. "Go take your shower then I'll take you to lunch so you can tell me what you plan to say to Bo."

Lauren got nervous. She had no idea what she was going to tell Bo but at this point. She was certain that anything she was going to say was probably going to make the woman happy but Lauren wanted to be clear and concise in her words when she spoke to Bo. She didn't want any more misunderstandings between the two of them.

* * *

 _A Year and a Half Later…._

Lauren was pacing around the atrium of the court house then she stopped to look at her watch. She frowned at the time then she looked out the glass doors. Bo was late. How she could be late for something that was her idea was confusing but Lauren was going to give her an ear full. And if the woman had gone home to check on Oscar then she was going to get even more of an ear full because not only would she have been beyond late but she was also spoiling the dog. Then again after a month of them living together Lauren realized that the dog made Bo soft. The two of them weren't going to have children. Bo and her parents would spoil them and she wasn't going to raise brats. Lauren blew out an aggravated breath. Bo needed to hurry up. She only had so much more time before she needed to get back to work.

The two of them had a solid relationship that was built off the foundation of their sixteen years of friendship. Granted them being in a relationship didn't stop Bo from pissing her off and it didn't stop her from bossing Bo around. The two of them would argue and it would get to an intense boiling point before one of them would say something that the other would just laugh at. It worked for them and Lauren couldn't imagine being in any other relationship. Lauren thought back to the days leading up to her talking to Bo. She had been expecting to tell Bo that she wanted to take things slow but as soon as Bo had opened the front door to what is now their house all she felt was the love that she had kept locked away for the other woman. That made Lauren realize that she didn't want to go slow. The two of them had been going slow for the last sixteen years, even if they had been in denial and repressing their feelings for each other, but now things were just right between them.

Lauren spotted Bo walking to the doors and smiled. She called out Bo's name when she stepped into the atrium. The woman walked over to her and when she was close enough Bo gave her a quick kiss then apologized. "I am so, so, so, so, sorry. The meeting with the clients ran late because they spotted some hidden clause in the contract."Bo rolled her eyes. "There was no hidden clause. Just the terms we talked about at the first round of negotiations."

"And you're not trying to cover the fact that you went home to check on Oscar?" Lauren asked with a grin.

Bo scoffed then said, "I go home once to check on our sick dog and you hold that over my head. Honestly you're lucky that I did or else you would have been the one cleaning his vomit out of the carpet in our room and I would have heard you bitch for days about it."

Lauren scowled at Bo then she shook her head as she took hold of her hand. "Next time he's sick he's going into the laundry room."

Bo gasped. "That is inhumane."

Lauren rolled her eyes and said, "You're only saying that because you spoil him."

"Maybe." The two of them walked over to the security checkpoint and as they stood in line Bo gave Lauren's hand a quick squeeze and asked, "You're sure you want to do this?"

Lauren nodded. "More than sure and as much as I want to savor the moment we need to be quick because I have to be back at the university in like a half hour."

Bo chuckled then told her, "And you will get back there on time. It shouldn't be too busy."

Lauren let out a soft grunt then remarked, "Are you forgetting that you have a skewed perception of time?"

Bo grinned. "Of course I remember and this is why you're going to be late getting back to work."

Lauren glared at her. "If I didn't-"

"Ma'am if you could walk through the detector please," the court officer ordered and Lauren narrowed her eyes at Bo as the woman grinned at her. She put her keys and stuff in the plastic bowl then walked through the metal detector.

Lauren was waiting for Bo on the other side and when Bo moved to where she was standing she said, "You know today is not the day for you to be an ass."

Bo chuckled and took hold of her hand. She gave Lauren's cheek a kiss then whispered, "Today, of all days, is the best day for me to be an ass." She gave Lauren's hand a tug. "Come on."

The two of them walked over to the directory to find out where they needed to go then they walked over to the bank of elevators. They took it up to the fourth floor then headed for the doors that led to the department that they wanted. The two of them walked into the department and stopped at the clerk's desk. The older woman that was sitting behind the desk had an unenthused expression on her face and she looked the two of them over before she asked, "May I help you?"

Lauren was already annoyed with the woman but thankfully Bo took over the conversation. "We'd like to get married."

The woman turned around in her desk chair to get two clipboards then she turned around to face them. As she clipped a sheet of paper to each board she said, "Fill these out, bring them back to me. Then when the judge is ready you will be called back. I'll need a copy of your licenses."

Bo and Lauren gave the woman their licenses and after she made copies of them they went into the waiting area to fill out their forms. Lauren looked over the form then she said, "We didn't discuss last names."

Bo looked at her and shrugged. "Lewis sounds good."

"Just like that?" Lauren asked surprised by how quick Bo had come to this decision.

Bo grinned and told her, "I had decided that a long time ago."

Lauren smiled at her then she leaned over and gave Bo a kiss. She pulled back a little then whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too. Now fill out this form so we can make this official," Bo told her with a huge smile on her face. Lauren couldn't believe that she was doing this. It had started out as a joke last month where Bo had said they might as well be married since they had been together for almost twenty years and they both had laughed it off but it was something that stuck with Lauren. They had loved each other for the longest time and Lauren wanted to be married to her best friend and soul mate. So over the weekend she had finally told Bo that she thought that they should get married. Bo didn't question it and told her that they would do it at lunch on Monday. That had been the discussion and here they were, getting married.

She and Bo turned in their forms then they had a forty-five minute wait before they were called. They walked into a small office and the clerk handed the man sitting behind the desk their forms. He looked them over then looked up at her and Bo. "You two want to do this?" They nodded. "All right. Did you want to say anything to each other on this momentous occasion?"

Lauren looked at Bo and Bo looked at her. No words needed to be said between the two of them. Every day that they were together was a testament of not only their love, but of their friendship. Bo smiled and said, "I'm good. She knows how I feel."

"Me too," Lauren replied with a smile on her face.

The judge blew out a breath then said, "Quickest wedding I've ever presided over. Did you have rings or anything you wanted to exchange?"

"Nope," Bo answers.

Lauren shook her head and muttered, "We should have gotten rings."

Bo looked at her. "We can get rings later."

Lauren nodded and said, "I know we can but it would have been nice to-"

"Lauren we're going to have to do this again because if your mother finds out we've gotten married and she wasn't able to plan a wedding she will-"

"My mom has already planned one wedding for me so I think-"

They were cut off by the judge clearing his throat loudly. He looked between them then asked, "So are we moving ahead or are we putting this off until you two have rings?"

"Moving ahead," both she and Bo answered. Lauren looked at Bo and smiled. The rings could definitely.

The judge went through his declarations of naming them spouse and spouse and after they signed the license he said, "Now you may kiss the bride."

Bo turned to face her and Lauren had a huge smile on her face. The met halfway for a tender kiss but then it became more heated as their emotions got the best of them. Again, they were interrupted by the judge clearing his throat. The man told them that they will receive their official license in the mail in two to three weeks and congratulated the two of them before he dismissed them. Lauren and Bo left the courthouse and once they were on the steps of it Bo asked her, "So are you okay with this?"

Lauren chuckled then gave Bo a kiss. "I've been okay with this longer than I ever knew."

Bo kissed her again then she pulled back and said, "I have to get back to work."

"I do too," Lauren said as she made no effort to leave and they stared in each other's eyes as they stood on the steps of the courthouse.

Bo leaned in and gave her one more kiss then she pulled back. "I will see you at home Mrs. Lewis."

Lauren grinned and said, "Yes you will, Mrs. Lewis."

Bo chuckled. "I have dreamed of this so many different ways and this isn't like anything I dreamed of but it is perfect. And it's perfect because of you." She gave Lauren a quick kiss. "I have a meeting. I love you and I'll see you later."

"I love you too," Lauren replied then she watched Bo headed down the stairs so that she could walk the three blocks back to work. Bo had been right. This had been the perfect wedding day for them. Not because it was simple and to the point, but because marrying the one person who knew you inside out and who happened to be your best friend was an amazing feeling. Lauren smiled to herself as she walked down the stairs. Everything about this felt so right and she couldn't imagine her life any other way.

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 **Thank you for reading, reviewing, and enjoying this short, but a whirlwind of a story. I'll let you guys go back to waiting for me to update now lol.**


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